Quality requirements drive MAN Diesel & Turbo

A large proportion of all ships plying the oceans are propelled by MAN Diesel & Turbo. With around 12,500 employees, the company is the leading supplier of two- and four-stroke engines for maritime use and for installation in power stations, for example.

In recent years, demand for electronically controlled B&W two-stroke diesels has risen sharply. Advanced control systems that manage fuel injection and compression contribute to better fuel economy and reduced emissions.

Special requirements at sea
With the progressive tightening of environmental requirements, ship owners are also increasingly interested in installing electronic control in existing vessels. As a bonus, modern control systems also facilitate operation and maintenance by the crew, including lubrication of the engines.
At sea, reliability takes the highest priority. Downtime costs big money. To prevent and avoid problems, the engine control system consists entirely of carefully selected, high-quality electronic components such as computers. Vital functions are also duplicated.

Since the summer of 2011, robust industrial computers from Beijer Electronics have been used in the onboard systems. In the first six months or so since deliveries started, around 150 computers from the EPC series have been commissioned, “Without a single complaint,” stresses Kennet Palm, Head of Hardware Development at MAN Diesel & Turbo, who is responsible for all the hardware used in the control electronics.

Industrial computers for tough jobs
These EPC boxes are specially designed and made for maximum reliability in the most demanding environments. Private PC buyers are mainly concerned with performance and low price. The occasional ‘blue screen’ may be irritating, but it is not a major problem. It is quite different at sea – particularly on a big tanker or freighter hundreds or even thousands of miles from port.
When MAN Diesel & Turbo chooses components for its electronic control systems, reliability combined with a long service life is crucial. “We build engines with a lifetime of 30 years, which have to work day in, day out in a tough maritime environment with all that this implies in terms of heat, humidity and vibration,” explains Palm, emphasising that factors like purchase cost and warranties are not irrelevant either.

A secure supply of products and spare parts, with ‘just in time’ delivery, is just as high on the list as quality, “to guarantee the supply of components, we made a decision at the group level to have two, or preferably three, alternative sources for every key product that we need.” Kennet Palm and his colleagues leave no stone unturned in their constant efforts to identify the best and most reliable products on the market. They search the world for computers, screens and other hardware for the control system.

Thomas Lehnemann, Kennet Palm and Niels Torres Engel at MAN Diesel & Turbo put reliability at the top of their list. “A ‘blue screen’ at sea simply isn’t an option”

Tests leave nothing to chance
The adoption of Beijer Electronics as one of very few PC suppliers to MAN Diesel & Turbo has been a lengthy process. The EPC boxes have been tested, methodically and very thoroughly, over a long period.

Niels Torres Engel and Thomas Lehnemann, who are responsible for research and reliability, leave nothing to chance. For their rigorous testing, they have a small ‘torture chamber’ at their disposal in the company’s Research and Development division. “Among the formal requirements, the products have to be type-approved by the leading maritime classification associations,” says Niels Torres Engel, explaining that, after the preliminary screening, the different computers are installed in test beds to confirm their compatibility, performance and quality.

Ready for a harsh environment
In the engine room of a ship, it can get really hot. That is why checks are made to ensure that the computers will still work in 70-degree Celsius temperatures. The EPC boxes from Beijer Electronics met this challenge – as well as the vibration and humidity tests. “By ‘stressing’ the products, we pick up any faults that might not show up at first.” Thomas Lehnemann stresses the importance of ensuring that manufacturers do not make any sudden design modifications. Even minor changes to components can affect the programs running in the computer. “We perform constant spot-checks to ensure that the equipment supplied is up to the mark, and we are in constant contact with our partners.”

Responsive collaboration
The partnership with Beijer Electronics is described as personal, relaxed and good. As Kennet Palm says, if communication with the suppliers isn’t working, it doesn’t matter how good the products are:“We feel that our wishes are listened to and we get all the help we need” and Niels Torres Engel readily agrees. He freely admits that MAN Diesel & Turbo could be described as a ‘difficult’ customer:“Although we’re not buying vast quantities of industrial computers, we are extremely fussy about the quality of what we get. Not just that the collaboration works well; it also saves time because all EPC boxes are supplied pre-configured.”

Customised solution
The computers supplied are ready to use right out of the box. The operating system and the relevant drivers and programs are already installed by Beijer Electronics before delivery.

This close dialogue has brought improvements in the onboard systems, which also increases safety. If a control computer should fail – against all the odds – the crew on board can re-install the operating system and programs. This backup copy used to be held on a CD, but unfortunately the mechanisms in the CD drives could not always cope with the vibration they were exposed to. The EPC boxes introduced the idea of restoring from a USB stick, a much more robust solution.“It is a pleasure to work with suppliers who suggest ideas that provide value and inspiration,” they conclude.

The technology in brief
The Beijer Electronics EPC box is a robust, maintenance-free and well-protected industrial computer for tough environments. In purely technical terms, it is built around Intel processors with Windows XP Embedded. Fanless processors keep the temperature down and reduce wear. The industrial computer is IP20-rated according to DIN EN 60529. Plenty of connections make for great flexibility. Parallel and serial ports are standard, along with USB 2.0 sockets and 100 Mbps Ethernet. MAN Diesel & Turbo has chosen flash disk for data storage. The alternative is a traditional vibration-tolerant hard disk. Beijer Electronics’ EPC series is certified by the ABS (American Bureau of Shipping), Bureau Veritas, DNV, Germanischer Lloyd, Lloyd’s Register and the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping.

A mechanical giant
All development, both electronic and mechanical, of MAN Diesel & Turbo’s two-stroke engines is carried out in Denmark. Although some special parts are still made in Denmark, the engines are now built under license in countries like Korea and China by partner companies such as Hyundai Heavy Industries – physically close to the shipbuilding yards that buy the engines.

The electronic control systems manage enormous forces. The engines may output up to 115,000 horsepower and weigh up to 2,000 tons. The cylinders, between six and fourteen in number, have a stroke length of almost five meters. A mechanical efficiency of over 50 percent – the best cars achieve 25 percent – makes for high energy efficiency.

It is no accident that MAN Diesel & Turbo uses industrial computers from Beijer Electronics as human machine interface (HMI) for the company’s giant B&W engines. The choice was based on a very thorough evaluation and negotiation process, in which suppliers from all over the world were compared against each other. On board ships, reliability is absolutely crucial, so all components in the redundant control system have to be of the highest quality.

How can .NET Framework technology create new opportunities and conditions for the operator systems of the future? And how can HMI developers and users win by choosing a standardized development environment for keeping up with rapid technological development?

Software development in HMI is a costly affair. Historically, many HMI suppliers have made major investments both in man-years and money to build up their software programs. The result is locked technological frameworks based on decisions made long ago.

Future HMI development is moving towards a new approach. By choosing an open development environment such as .NET Framework from the start, you can quickly implement a well-established and modern platform with proven stability. At the same time you can utilize a wide range of tools and functions that enable you to customize HMI solutions and make them more efficient.

Established technologies in interaction
The resources behind .NET Framework are substantial because the framework is a part of the Microsoft Windows operating system. It is highly probable that an application based on Microsoft’s framework can guarantee innovative and stable HMI solutions with a long future horizon. Another clear advantage is that you can benefit from technologies that accompany .NET Framework. The framework is extensive. Some examples of technologies that create prerequisites in the world of HMI in particular are WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation), Ribbon (the toolbar field in standard Windows programs) and the opportunities for scripting in C#.

Generation shift within automation
Another new approach within HMI goes hand and hand with an automation market that is facing a generation shift. A new well-educated generation of developers is entering the industry and they are demanding more advanced and open tools. End-users and the operators on industrial shop floors have grown up with computers, smartphones and modern graphical user interfaces. Expectations for intuitive graphical operator interfaces without manuals are growing at the same rate. For a number of years, Apple and Google’s Android for example, have set a new standard for user-friendliness and graphics, and this will eventually require a response from the industry.

Augmented graphics and media components
One way to successfully meet this development is to utilize WPF, Microsoft’s graphics engine that is included in .NET Framework. Among the advantages are the user gaining access to vector-based graphics with zooming that does not degrade image quality, and that design can be separated from coding through XAML. This provides – besides capabilities for fantastic graphics – a tool for creating HMI objects that can be effectively harmonized with the end-user’s brand name.

Importing objects designed in MS Expression Design for example, opens the door for being able to immediately implement 3D graphics and effects such as transparency, shading, animation, storyboards and multimedia. The programmer creates the logic, the designer handles the appearance and XAML handles the interaction between them. Through WPF, the user gains access to a modern graphics engine on which to build future HMI functionality.

Another important technology in .NET Framework is access to Windows media objects, which opens the way to media components such as Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player and PDF readers.

Creating a custom HMI
With present developments in the market, it is becoming increasingly important for machine manufactures and suppliers of HMI solutions to be able to add their own touch and consequently make the HMI solutions their own to differentiate them from those of the competitors. This can apply to functionality, but even to design. In a time when hardware is becoming increasingly similar, the matter of how the user can customize and work with HMI software is becoming more and more relevant.
Access to finished .NET components provides a unique opportunity to customize applications. The most common are the graphics components, where the functions are encapsulated in graphics objects (such as buttons or diagrams). Components are created with a development tool in a high-level language. They can later be locked and consequently safeguarded against copying. You can choose yourself whether to develop a .NET component or utilize third-party components that are already available at online component stores, ready to download and install.

There are a number of companies that develop components for .NET Framework. The opportunities of this development in HMI are very interesting. As an example, through .NET components you could contribute with special knowledge within various industries – such as oil and gas, building automation, water and wastewater – and consequently make it easier for customers to optimize their HMI solutions.

The scripting language is also important for an HMI solution. Historically, different manufacturers have had different dialects of standard languages. In .NET Framework, C# is one of the standard languages. In practice this means more freedom for the developer, who can make use of all functionality in the language instead of selected parts.
Through scripting, you can create your own functions in an application and in this way create the functionality that is not already included in the HMI development tool. You can also call various components.

Summary
Integrated systems in automation are what it is all about today – supplier-locked systems belongs to the past. A trend in the market is that standard platforms are preferred so that different system suppliers can communicate. Open systems and technologies are thus necessary in the future. Another trend is that HMI developers are increasingly demanding tools to customize solutions so as to strengthen competitiveness. The high demands on graphics and user-friendliness are driving a rapidly developing consumer market.

This was one of the first tweets we saw on this, possibly the biggest automation exhibition in the world this year. The SPS/IPC/Drives show is held annually in the Northern Bavarian city of Nuremberg. This year the dates were the 27 to 29th of November, As last year we were unable to make it this time, however there were some excellent reports which we have used (and linked to) in compiling this brief impression.

As might be expected the automation industry presented its capabilities in full force at the exhibition. There was a record number of 1.429 exhibitors which attracted more visitors than in the past, as 56.321 trade visitors filled the 12 halls to gather information about the latest products and solutions in electric automation. Well may it be said that SPS IPC Drives 2011 set a clearly positive sign for the future despite the gale-force winds blowing in financial circles for the last three years.

The conference which took place in parallel to the exhibition also recorded an increase this year with an attendance of 349 delegates. For three days the conference provided a platform for intensive discussions between product developers, suppliers and users. The opportunities for users to exchange information and knowledge were at the heart of the newly introduced user sessions.

Like a lot of European events there was not a small number of tweets from various sources and in various languages, but those that did tweet helped form an impression of how things were. One of the most prolific of these was Leo Ploner of the IE Book who gave us a sort of running commentary on his day interspersed with twitpics of stands and products which impressed him. This comprehensive collection of pictures have been added to the IE Book Facebook Page and we recommend that you pay a visit and see who you know and what products impressed him. “#SPS/IPC/Drives very busy on the first day of the show. Big crowds at all the stand” he reported after day one.

Put on those cans!
Also present on the first day was Control’s Walt Boyes, who gave up his Thanksgiving to be in Europe for the show. This is an interesting account in that it gives an American take on how things are done in Europe, simultaneous translations and the non-English keyboards (Now he knows how Europeans might feel in the U.S!)

Gary Mintchel of Automation World also found himself in Nuremberg during this week. His blog, Feed Forward, provides us with “a roundup of various announcements that I gathered during my sprint around the halls and press conferences.” He managed to squeeze in a visit to the Siemens plant in Amberg on the day before the show opened!

The Control Engineering Europe team attended the show in force, collecting a great deal of feature ideas, as well as details about some of the most innovative launches at the show. They promise that further details of the most exciting product launches from the event will be presented in the February issue of the magazine.

ARC Reports
ARC Advisory also discuss day one in an article by Florian Gueldnerwhich looks at the Automation Outlook for 2012. He bases this report on that of the ZVEI, as well as companies interviewed at the event. Their David Humphrey reports on The big trends in a further report on day two.

A busy corner at the show!

Come hither!
Of course exhibitors tweeted on their own stands and new products. Heading the posse was Siemens, who were on their home ground and virtually occupied one complete hall (There were twelve halls in all!). They mounted an impressive press conference on the first day. Their “big” announcement was the naming of their full motor range, now called “Simotics”. They also introduced some extensions to their TIA (Totally Integrated Automation) portal. Jochun Koch’s blog features some video presentations with English voice-over – Automation and IT (their Scalance range) – take a look and remember to click for the English translation if needed!

Phoenix Contact have a video tour of their stand – as it was being set-up – which they entitle “Solutions for the future – Phoenix Contact.” There are in fact a number of other videos from Phoenix Contact on theie YouTube site. Their final tweet from the show as they rolled up the tent was, “What innovation! More than 3,000 visitors @ Phoenix Contact.”

The Pilz Stand!

Also using video to press their message is Beckhoff who have produced reports for each day. This is Day One. They exhibited their complete range of PC- and EtherCAT-based control technology and a large number of new products in all technological areas (IPC, I/O, Automation and Motion). The focus was on their new generation of controllers from the CX2000 series, the new proprietary-developed AM8000 servomotors and the release of the TwinCAT 3 software.

Suzanne Gill of Control Engineering Europereports here on some of the latest innovations that were introduced, which evidenced consumer technology moving into the industrial space and multi product combinations continuing to gain momentum.

No security!
Another American braving the Bavarian winter was Eric Byres of Byres Technology, recently acquired by Belden (see our article Major acquisition strengthens war on Stuxnet and other malware Sept20’11). It is I suppose unusual that a supplier reports on an exhibition so his viewpoint is welcome. Obviously he has a certain slant on things viewing the exhibits from the security standpoint. He advises that SCADA Security Solutions were scarce at show. “What concerned me was the lack of booth space dedicated to security of any type. Of the 1,429 exhibitors, only 16 reported supplying ‘Industrial security’ technologies or services according to the show guide. This is a hopelessly small number.” He was proud to report however that their “Tofino Security technology accounted for nearly 25% of that total!” More alarmingly he reports that many vendors stated that security wasn’t a concern for them, while users were very concerned and indeed did not quite know what to do about it! Not a pretty picture! He concludes “If the automation world is going to adopt industrial Ethernet with such enthusiasm (which I support), it might want to consider securing it too!”

We referred to the excellent tweeting by Leo Ploner of the IE Book earlier and his very comprehensive report Industrial networking still looking good tells in great detail what he saw as he moved through the halls. We’ve referred to their pictures above and here is a video which he took of an exhibit at the Sercos Stand.

Re-inventing the electric guitarEquipped with an MLP industrial control from Bosch Rexroth, the robot guitar can read and play MIDI files. Bus terminals from Phoenix Contact are used to actuate lifting solenoids. Six to pluck the strings and 24 to operate the finger board. The automation bus from Sercos ensures the optimum operation of all components.

One final tweet from KUHNKE Automation sums up one impression “SPS/IPC/DRIVES was a complete success for us! Thank you for coming and the great constructive high-level talks!”

Next year’s automation filled show is scheduled for Nov. 27. – 29 2012. Will you be there?

#SPS11: Hydrostatic actuation desifn concept from Moog – Reliable hybrid technology used in a new energy-saving solution for a variety of industrial applications Moog Industrial Group featured a prototype for a new Electro Hydrostatic Actuator (EHA). Combining hydraulic and electric technology in a self-contained system, Moog’s innovative EHA … Continue reading →

#SPS11: TE Connectivity solutions – TE Connectivity showcases its Hybrid Connectivity Solutions Both the Power4Net and the Motorman hybrid connectors integrate several functions into a single compactly designed connector. The flexible Power4Net hybrid connector has space for up to eight power and four Ethernet contacts … Continue reading →

#SPS11 Dynamic reporting in process or energy management – COPA-DATA is to present their zenon Analyzer to the public for the first time COPA-DATA will present its new product for dynamic reporting, the zenon Analyzer, for the first time at the SPS/IPC/DRIVES 2011 trade fair. The software is designed … Continue reading →
#SPS11 Green automation initiative
Industrial communication technology facilitates plant-wide energy management within automation systems. HMS Industrial Networks presented a number of solutions targeting energy management in automation systems. Recent research from the AIDA group of German automobile manufacturers (Audi, BMW, Daimler, Porsche, VW) and … Continue reading →

This paper analyses the vulnerabilities of the 7-Technologies IGSS SCADA/HMI system published by Auriemma. Moreover they state even if readers do not have this vendor’s products, it may be helpful to review the six Compensating Controls recommended, and apply ones that are relevant for their systems. They say: “Initial analysis seems to indicate that these vulnerabilities only affect IGSS Versions 8 and 9. This is due primarily to the fact that these vulnerabilities focus on a single IGSSdataServer application that is not believed to have existed in prior versions of the software. Until the vendor has posted an official response to these vulnerabilities, increased security diligence should be used based on the recommendations provided in this document.”

I remember well seeing National Instruments’ LabView for the first time. It was in Dublin’s RDS exhibition centre in 1988 and there a keen young American presented this program on one of the original Apple MACs which had automation engineers present salivating with wonder at this oh so simple way of configurating a control loop. It was very “Apple” and therefore very user friendly.

Lots of water has flowed under the proverbial bridge since then, history decided that the Microsoft windows was to be the preeminent platform for control systems and nowadays National Instruments products mostly use this platform. They have lost none of their enthusiasm however and organise events throughout the world to promulgate the good news and educate engineers and technicians on the many techniques and technologies they continue to develop.

Some attendees at NI Symposium in Dublin

This year the Ireland and Britain subsidiary of NI have hosted a series of seminars or “Technical Symposia,” a one-day professional development series for engineers and scientists. These were held in Glasgow, Cambridge, Manchester and the Irish leg was in Dublin. The symposium offered in-depth technical sessions and hands-on training covering the latest in test, control and design. It offered the opportunity to learn about the latest NI software and hardware innovations, “which offer greater flexibility, faster development and increased system performance.”

The full day event was divided into two tracks, a presentation track and a practical or “hands-on” track. The morning and evening sessions were preceeded with keynotes where all delegates were assembled together. In all there were in excess of 60 attendees at the event from all regions of the island.

The first keynote on Harnessing the Cloud: a LabVIEW vision was delivered by John Wooton, National Instruments Area Manager. He gave a very good presentation on what exactly is meant by this fairly new term, the cloud in computing. Over the lifetime of LabVIEW each new version has provided new features to make users more productive and their test and measurement applications more powerful. With the advent of cloud computing, engineering architectures could soon look very different.

He gave the vision for LabVIEW in this new world and how engineers and scientists could harness the cloud to solve real-world challenges. We have entered the Petabyte age and Labview is in the business of acquiring analysing and finally presentation.

In the first practical session under the direction of Séamus Casserly, District Sales Manager for Ireland confirmed that the LabView concept still intrigues – at least to this correspondant! He outlined briefly the latest trends in development of the product and guided the practical test driving of PC-based data acquisition systems and helping participants on how to use graphical programming techniques to create modular and flexible applications; measuring temperature with a thermocouple and log the data to a file. These acquisition and signal conditioning products offer highly accurate measurements, combined with LabVIEW they give the power easily to acquire, analyse and present data in minutes.

Moving into the practical track he later introduced us to the FPGA (Field-programmable Gate Array) concept used by SPINX, CERN and Optmedica for instance. It is an integrated circuit designed to be configured by the customer or designer after manufacturing, in other words it is “field-programmable”. The NI FPGA module opens up this technology to engineers for reconfiguarble input/output (RIO). He discussed LabVIEW FPGA for various pplications and how clients can efficiently develop and evaluate an application with this software. In the hands-on track there wsa the opportunity to explore this practically.

An other area where National Instruments has made advances is in the area of Robotics. In this presentation we gained an insight into the impact that robotics innovation will have in coming years and understand such as the NI CompactRIO. the challenges faced in designing robots to sense, think and act intelligently. This is a priority area for instance in the United States where the government are investing up to $52b in robotics. Areas of greatest use are security, education (maths and science), disability and improving core technologies e.g home use.

The second keynote in the afternoon was a fascination session enthusiastically given by Edin Omerdic of the University of Limerick on Advanced Control Systems for Open Water Autonomous Submarines. This was a fascination insight into practical research applications underwater. This is part of the projects from the Marine Robotics Research centre at UL.

These includes RF measurement, using FlexRIO and LabView FPGA for Test Applications and the latest techniques and technologies for data acquisition. The presentation I would have loved to hear was entitled Smart Phones for Smarter DAQ. We probably carry around more computing power in our pockets today than was available on the average desktop 10 years ago. This presentation promised to tell us how to harness the capabilities of iOS, Android and the LabVIEW Web UI Builder to acquire measurement data on a mobile computing platform and share it over the Internet.

The well attended event was a busy no-nonsense symposium with lots of information and knowledge being exchanged.

Frost and Sullivan appear very active these past few days as far as the automation sector is concerned. A few days ago they came out with the Top Ten Energy Trends which included the observation that, amongst the others noted that most energy producers are seeking to “improve their measurement and monitoring network structure by implementing smart technologies.”

Now in a new paper they examine the HMI market in Europe and the opportunites and challenges that is and will present to industry.

Factors such as the need for technically enhanced human machine interface (HMI) in Europe and the availability of growth opportunities in price-sensitive markets such as Eastern Europe will intensify the competition among vendors in the HMI market. Although the financial crisis affected most end-user sectors across the world, the demand for HMI has been sustained through government-aided stimulus packages in key end-user segments. Steady market expansion will derive from end users looking beyond conventional HMI functionalities to more advanced technical features.

Their study Strategic Analysis of the European Human Machine Interface Market, finds that the market earned revenues of $541.9 million in 2009 and estimates this to reach $819.7 million in 2016. The study covers discrete and process industries.

The increasing importance of sophisticated and high-definition displays will support market prospects. The visualisation factor, which communicates the system parameters and displays the execution of the process on a screen, is highly valued by shop floor operators.

“The need for newer and more sophisticated displays is gaining importance,” notes Industry Analyst Sivakumar Narayanaswamy. “The ability of an HMI to fulfill this demand is continuing to drive the growth of the HMI market.”

Increased government spending on infrastructure, including power and water, is also strengthening the market’s growth potential. As an effect of the recession of 2008-2009, governments of developed economies have been aiding investments in infrastructure development, primarily in the power segment and for smart grid projects. This has resulted in a boom in the utilities segment, especially in the use of HMI applications.

A main challenge relates to the fact that end users are looking beyond the conventional functionality of HMI. Currently, customers are not satisfied with the usual features of data monitoring offered by HMI. They want the system to be more intelligent and intuitive.

“Software is the key to intelligent HMI solutions,” states Narayanaswamy.

Additionally, the advent of HMI integrated with video capabilities will enable proactive diagnostics in the event of a fault. HMI vendors need to focus on such intuitive trends to meet customer requirements.

Yokogawa Technology Day in Ireland’s southern capital!

The southern capital of Ireland was the venue for the Yokogawa Technology Day organised by the Irish and European branches of the company and their Irish representative Irish Power and Process. Cork is a beautifully situated city in the valley of the river Lee and this event was held in the Silver Springs conference centre overlooking the river as it meanders to one of the largest natural harbours in Europe if not the world.

This correspondent had not attended a Yokogawa event before and we expected that it would not be that much different from other events of this nature. We found that it was and it wasn’t! Obviously each company has its own culture and way of looking at things and this company is no different. We gained information at the sessions some of which we were expecting and other which was completely new to us. Perhaps the best way to illustrate this is to go briefly through the programme.

Attendees at the Yokogawa Ireland Technology Day 20th January 2011

IntroductionDónal Bourke, the Ireland Sales manager for the company welcomed everyone and how the day was planned to run. By and large this programme was adhered to. There were about thirty attendees from a wide variety of industries and other establishments.

Session 1: Reducing fuel costs and emissions

Noel Heary of IPP makes adjustments during the TDL Demo

Paul Carrington, their Product Manager Analysis Products discussed reducing fuel costs & emissions in large combustion processes using their Tunable Diode Laser (TDL). Processes can significantly reduce fuel costs, maintenance costs and the emissions of large scale combustion processes by using measurement techniques that enable enhanced combustion control. In summary it provides precise, fast measurement of simple gaseous molucules. It is non-sampling and low maintenancein in temparatures up to 1500 °C. He completed this presentation with a demonstration of the unit.

Session 2: Managing remote production facilities
The next session had Eduard Van Loenen of the Global SCADA Centre speaking on how new technology developments allow for the demanning of remote production facilities. He focussed on centralised sharing and visualisation of key operational information. The Yokogawa offering is FAST/Tools SCADA, through which a fully Web-based, secure and real-time SCADA management system is now a reality. He described the “Visions – From Transaction to Interaction” breaking it down to two concepts.

Real-Time intervention, where a work team identifies an issue with a production operation and promptly assesses the situation from an operations support center which can be geographically located anywhere. The virtual team makes a decision and then implements it, all within a span of about ten minutes.The second is Remote Collaboration The situation is similar to the first vision but in this example team members engage via a PDA and through a web-based collaboration network established with an equipment manufacturer.
He concluded with a demonstration showing a simulated control system in the North Sea Oil & Gas fields.

Session 3: Manufacturing executionThis was the area that was new to many of the attendees. We were unaware of the product offering of the company in the area of MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems). In this session Bill Bambeck, their MES Pre-Sales Consultant (right), showed how implementing value added solution packages to plant control systems can allow users to increase the visability of their process and improve their bottom line. He introduced us to a whole new (for us) range of products produced by Yokogaway Marex on the Isle of Wight (GB). He introduced us to a whole plethera of products under the Exaquantum brand name – plant information management systems. This includes batch, Sequential Event Recording (SER), Movement Monitoring etc. He included an exposé of the RPO (Realtime Production Organiser) the suite of MES packages within the ISA 95 model. Many of the particpants were surprised at the comprehensiveness of the range.

Session 4: Integrated control & safety systemsSpeaking on Production Excellence with Integrated Control & Safety System (ICSS) – Centum VP & Prosafe RS, Ged Kelly – Manager Oil & Gas UK and Ireland showcased the latest HMI and Alarm Management updates in the Centum VP DCS platform. The presentation will also illustrate the features and benefits of an integrated DCS and SIS system. He started with a fascinating review of the innovation history of the company from the 1970 introduction of their YODIC600 Direct digital control system to the introduction ProSafe-RS, “a World first DCS-SIS Integrated Safety System,” and on to Centum VP and most recently Field wireless devices for both monitoring and control applications. His presentation presented a full condensation of their offering.

Session 5 : DP flow
We loved the title of this session: DP Flow ‘Alive and Kicking for gas and steam flow measurement.’ In this presentation Simon Hatch, Flow & Transmitters Product Manager, introduced DPharp sensor technology (DP high accuracy resonance pressure) and a success story with the National Transmission System in Britain as well as recent developments in diagnostics and digital signals. Like the previous session he started with a historical perspective from analogue DP transmitters up to the Digital transmitters of the nineties and noughties. He explained the philosophy and advantages of the silicon resonant sensor used in the transmitters.

Safety as standard!

The NTS is the system of delivery, or national grid, for natural gas in Britain. Independent evaluation of DP transmitters was completed in 1995 where the EJA transmitter outperformed all other transmitters. Standards developed and improved especially in the area of safety through the years culminating in orders for the current EJX transmitters and stocking of same. This transmitter meets safety standards as standard.
Session 6: ISA 100 Industrial Wireless
For many this was the most interesting part of the evening. Simon Hatch again was the presenter and he gave talk on the ISA 100 standard and how it can be used. He gave a useful explanation of the different terms like router or gateway as well as describing how the system worked. He also showed the unique battery pack used with their wireless transmitters.

Later that evening he gave a talk to a well attended Technical Meeting of the Ireland ISA Section where he went into considearbly more detail including an exposé on STAR and MESH topologies, how and where to use them and how effective they are. He also discussed the ISA 100 Wireless Complience Institute (formed in 2009).

The ISA 100 committee was set up in 2005 to establish standards and related information to define procedures for implementing wireless systems in the automation and control environment. He was at pains to point out that it is an end-user driven standard. Although he did refer to the two IEC standards, WirelessHART and a Chinese system he was unwilling to discuss the controversies attached to the approval of these standards and ISA 100.

Both these talks culminated in an impressive demonstration of the wireless transmission from temperature and pressure transmitters.